Because I've Lost Everything

Chapter Seventeen

Some Xaphan action in this chapter for those who love him as much as I do :D

Monday: October 26, 2015

Caleb Grimm

"Someone's at the door, Caleb," Laura murmured.

"Go back to sleep," I mumbled.

Laura was silent for all of three seconds before she touched a hand to my chest. "They're just going to keep knocking," she said.

With a groan, I got out of bed. "Sleep. I'll be back," I said. I walked out of the bedroom and headed straight for the foyer. I flipped on the light, unlocked the front door, and opened it. "Xaphan?" I asked.

He smiled boyishly at me. "Hey, man. Sorry I wasn't there with Ghost's people. I got caught up in something back home."

I pressed my forearm against the doorjamb as I stared at my best friend. "Trouble in paradise?" I asked.

He shook his head quickly, his black hair sweeping across his forehead. "Nuh-uh. Miracle in paradise," he said.

I tilted my head to the side. "Miracle?" I asked. "Aliyah's pregnant?" I asked. Xaphan nodded. I hit his shoulder, shoving him back a step. "Damn, man. Congrats."

He smiled widely. "Thanks. I feel like we've been waiting forever, you know?" he asked.

I glanced back in the general direction of my bedroom before bringing my focus back to his face. "I know exactly what you mean," I said quietly.

He shoved at my chest. "Heard you're finally marrying DL."

"DL?"

"Draculaura," he said.

"I am."

"And... is there something you'd like to ask me?" Xaphan asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, let me see..." I pushed my hand through my hair, shaking my head. "No, I don't think so."

He shoved me again. This time, I stumbled back a step, laughing. "Come on, man. Ask."

I rolled my eyes. "Xaphan, will you be my best man?" I asked.

He threw a hand over his heart. "Caleb Grimm, it would be an honor," he said.

"You're such a drama queen."

"Thanks. Hey, is she here?"

"Sleeping."

"Sure she is," he said with a wink.

Again, I rolled my eyes. "She's sleeping, you loser."

"Aww, nothing freaky?"

"Not tonight, I'm afraid."

"But... but you've been waiting for centuries, man!" he exclaimed. My shoulders shook with a laugh. "Don't you think you deserve it after all this time?"

I shook my head. "I get to cuddle with her. That's enough for me," I said.

"Ugh, you're such a girl."

"Thanks."

"Oh, question."

"Answer."

"What's Ghost look like?" Xaphan asked.

"Stella. She's a werewolf. Clawd Wolf was dating her," I said.

"Oh," Xaphan whispered. "I didn't piece that together."

"What?"

"Clawd Wolf's running around town looking for the man that murdered his mate."

"It wasn't me. Lucifer killed her," I said.

"Clawd won't accept that. He's... Jesus, I don't know. He's beyond mad, at this point. Caleb, man, the guy killed two normies at the college," Xaphan said.

"That mad, huh?" I asked.

"You remember how you felt when Ghost took DL away. Imagine how you would've felt if you knew she was your mate. Imagine how you'd feel if something inside you threatened to rip out your still-beating heart just because she was gone."

I frowned. "For the record, if something happens to Lu, I refuse to go on. I'm not living without her. I've spent enough of my life without her already," I said. "So you telling me to imagine it is insane. I already know what it feels like. It's insanity. It hurts."

Xaphan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked down, a frown set on his face. "By God, I've been impaled," he said. True to his word, a metal rod ran through his abdomen--in through his back and out through his stomach.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"Nah." He reached down and pulled the road out of his flesh. I cringed at the sound it made as his blood hit my front porch. "I tell you, Caleb, it takes a lot of effort to summon things and make them appear where you want them," he muttered.

"The hell did you want a metal rod for in the first place?" I asked. He smiled wickedly and whirled around, swinging the road in the process. I heard a thud.

Clawd Wolf lay at the base of my front porch. Slowly, he was morphing back into his human form.

"Tada," Xaphan said.

"Help me bring him inside. I'll get him a change of clothes," I said. "And then we'll deal with your, uh, impalement issue," I added.

Xaphan laughed. "Sure thing, man."